Steve Smith of Spring Hill got the call Saturday no parent ever wants to get.
His 22-year-old daughter, Brooke, had been killed in an accident in Marion County on K-150 just east of Yarrow Rd.

Marion County holds millions of dollars in unencumbered cash, the county’s auditor reported Monday, confirming an issue raised in recent budget discussions.
The county’s annual audit identified $14.7 million in unencumbered cash at the end of 2016. Accountant Scot Loyd of Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Loyd presented the report, which also identified several deficiencies, to commissioners.

When Don Voss moved to Hillsboro 10 years ago, he said Hillsboro businesses were booming. He could go downtown and have breakfast in the morning or a cup of coffee and his favorite slice of pie past 8 p.m.
But as the years have passed, Voss has had fewer options on where he can eat or shop.

The first woman elected as American Legion national commander, Denise Rohan, will be speaking in Hillsboro from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the American Legion post at 405 Floral Dr. Rohan also will be participating in a question and answer session.

Darin Neufeld of EBH Associates updated commissioners Monday on bidding for the 330th Rd. project. He said there has been a lot of interest in the work among contractors.
After opening bids on Sept. 28, if commissioners choose a slurry base, contractors could start their work in about a week, Neufeld said. It would take two to three weeks for the base, and another two to three for an asphalt overlay. The entire eight-mile stretch could be done in six weeks, he said, minus striping.

Swarms of orange and black butterflies are fluttering through the county, but do not be fooled. These are not monarchs.
“These butterflies look very different from monarchs,” said K-State entomology extension leader Raymond Cloyd. “They should be easy to tell apart, even for a novice.”

Billy and Donna Rosiere have been in the service field all of their adult life, and operating Marion Dry Cleaning and Laundry is no different.
They work long days and long hours, sometimes even weekends, to provide customers with a multitude of services. They often go out of their way to pick up and deliver items.

Tayle Black, 8, of Marion, is not afraid to get a little muddy when preparing her two pigs, a cross bred and a berkshire, for Kansas Junior Livestock Show.
“It gets really messy,” Black said. But that’s okay, she said, because washing them is actually her favorite part.

A man awaiting Oct. 24 trial on county charges that were allegedly part of a multi-state crime spree ending in his February arrest in Arizona is filing his own motions in court despite the fact he claims to be happy with court-appointed defense attorney Gary Price.
Allen D. Washburn, 36, is charged with residential burglary, two counts of felony theft, damage to property, and misdemeanor theft.

Family services for former nurse Dorothy Louise (Rhodes) Delk, 83, of Hillsboro, who died Sept. 11, will be at noon Friday at Petersen Funeral Home, Newton. A graveside committal service will follow at 2 p.m. at Maize Park Cemetery, Maize.
Born Feb. 4, 1934, to Oren and Betty Blevins in DeGraff, she was married to John W. Rhodes from 1952 to 1996, and Bob Delk from 2000 to 2017.

Imagine walking into a larger than life mock-up of the various parts of a body and learning what happens to food as it enters and travels through the body.
Centre kindergarten through sixth grade students learned the importance of good nutrition choices last week by walking through a Body Venture 50-foot-long exhibit of connected shapes and sizes, representing various parts of the human body.

Val Newton has been to the mountaintop, and he’s trudged through the valley of addiction. Today he tries to walk the high road in faith, and wants to help others with similar challenges.
The former Good News Christian Fellowship pastor and co-facilitator Chandra Morris are bringing Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered recovery program, to the county.

Emporia State student Brooke Smith was anonymous to us as she drove through the county Saturday on what was to be a surprise visit to her brother in Lindsborg. Like countless others, she was just an unknown figure in an unfamiliar car speeding by on the highway.
When a 15-year-old driver inexplicably crossed the center line of K-150 Saturday night, 22-year-old Brooke became tragically relevant to us when she died instantly in the resulting collision. A name, a statistic, and when people heard about the accident, someone they naturally hoped would be “not us.”

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

Tucker Weber climbed up onto the back of his sheep, wrapped his arms around its neck, hooked his feet around the sheep’s belly, and prepared to hold on tight. Really tight.
Tucker, the 2017 mutton bustin’ state champion from Cedar Point, competed against 45 other children from across the state during the Kansas State Fair Mutton Bustin’ Championships after he qualified during Florence Labor Day’s mutton bustin’ competition.

Alumni from Hillsboro High School will gather this weekend during the annual All-School Reunion.
On Friday, alumni will sit down for school lunch in the school’s cafeteria and attend the homecoming football game.

Hillsboro youth who want to learn dance can enroll for lessons in several types of dance styles.
Hillsboro Recreation Commission and Studio 23 Dance will offer classes starting in October for ages 2 through high school.

Runners and walkers in Hillsboro Community Hospital’s third annual Heart and Sole 5K on Oct. 7 will help raise money for two causes.
Fifty percent of proceeds will go to Colton Rempel and his fight against cancer. The remainder will go toward the hospital’s dietary and physical therapy departments.

An artistic project for cultural and economic vibrancy or arts integration in the community could get launch money from one of two state grant programs.
Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission is accepting applications for its strategic investment and arts integration programs.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT:

NORTHWEST OF DURHAM:

The Goessel volleyball team played up in class in non-league contests against two 3A schools at Moundridge last week and came away with its record unblemished.
The Bluebirds defeated Sedgwick for a second time this season. Falling behind 11-7, Goessel rallied with Brittney Hiebert, Eden Hiebert, and Leah Booton pounding winners. Goessel led 19-18, with Audessi Unruh serving. Cierra Nolte smacked a winner and Booton finished the game with a kill as Goessel won 25-20.

One week removed from a disheartening loss to Kingman, the Trojans football team could really have used a boost of confidence.
Sadly, a two-hour trip Friday night west to Hoisington was the wrong department to shop for it.

Goessel cross-country runners faced temperatures in the 90s and wind as they competed in a Thursday meet at Bennington.
“The course was dry and dusty and the kids battled the heat as much as the competition,” coach Brian Lightner said. “We worked this week on pacing, and the ‘Birds showed tremendous improvement.”

The Goessel football team played just two quarters of football Friday, as it was overwhelmed by Solomon 48-0.
For the first time this season, the Bluebirds were held scoreless. Solomon crossed the goal line twice in the first quarter, leading 16-0. Four Goessel turnovers dimmed their chances, as the Gorillas scored four touchdowns in the second quarter, ending the game at halftime 48-0.

Two local high school graduates have been awarded academic scholarships from Fort Hays State University for the 2017-18 school year.

SCHOOL MENUS:

Youth who enjoy tractors, semi trucks, and fire trucks can attend Big Truck Night from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Hillsboro Elementary School.
There will be big trucks, tricycle riding, toy trucks, community resources, and safe kids information for kids up to age 5. Gifts and refreshments will be provided.